17 hours ago
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Senator Ahmad Lawan of the Yobe North district has denied ordering the arrest of a constituent, Ishe’u Ibrahim Jadda, who criticized his Gashua water supply project.
In a statement released on Saturday, Ezrel Tabiowo, media adviser to the Yobe senator, stated that Lawan, the former Senate President, “has never used, and will never use his position or influence to silence dissent or intimidate his critics.”
The senator’s stance follows a media report that he was responsible for the arrest of Jadda over his comments on the water project.
According to Tabiowo, the water project in Gashua, a town in Yobe State, facilitated by senator Lawan had been commissioned and handed over to the state government by the federal government.
However, the media aide did not clarify whether the project is currently operational.
The statement said the publication is reckless and untrue, describing it as a calculated attempt to tarnish the reputation of a statesman whose entire public service has been marked by unwavering commitment to the rule of law, democratic ideals, and the protection of citizens’ freedom of expression.
He said, “To be clear, Senator Ahmad Lawan, an experienced legislator and former Senate President, has never used and will never use his position or influence to silence dissent or threaten his critics.
“His long-standing record as a lawmaker, even during his years in opposition, speaks to a man who respects divergent opinions and upholds the sanctity of democratic engagement.
“Throughout his tenure in the National Assembly, he has championed transparency, accountability, and open dialogue, even when subjected to the harshest criticisms from Nigerians.
“It is instructive to recall that as President of the 9th Senate between 2019 and 2023, Senator Lawan presided over a chamber where robust debates and opposing views were not only tolerated but encouraged.
“He faced lots of criticism yet remained committed to good governance, consistently placing the well-being of the people above personal or political interests.
“To claim that someone of his integrity would engineer the arrest of a constituent for exercising their constitutional right to free speech is not only ridiculous but also an insult to his long standing record of principled public service,
“The Gashua Water Supply Project, recently inaugurated and transferred to the Yobe State Government by the Federal Government, was championed by Senator Lawan in response to a public health crisis that has claimed numerous lives.
“Gashua, located in the Yobe North Senatorial District, reports one of the highest incidences of kidney disease, which medical professionals have attributed to contaminated water sources.
“Far from being intimidated by criticism, Senator Lawan values constructive feedback as a crucial means of enhancing the effectiveness of public service.
“Allegations of his involvement in any form of repression are entirely unfounded and appear to be a deliberate effort to undermine the real progress being achieved in Yobe North.”
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